At Vader's Right Hand

The Hang of Things

As Imperial cadets sparred and practiced at the firing range, ageing clone Commander Cody sighed, disgusted by the lack of discipline that these young men had.  He recalled the clones that he called brothers.  The efficiency, the speed, the raw determination of even the young cadets.  He despised the new "normal" human recruits as he saw them as inferior.  Rightly so as he had the appearance of a sixty year old man, yet still had the strength and stamina to best the top cadet of his morning squad.  When everyone switched to the climbing exercises, he blinked twice as he saw a cadet fly up the rope, reaching the top long before his comrades.  As everyone switched to weight-lifting, he watched the cadet add far more weight to his equipment than the others, lifting it with ease.  Looking the cadet's file up, he noticed a familiar detail.

"Cadet Durk, report to my office immediately," Commander Cody said as the cadets watched their squadmate follow their instructor.  As Cadet Durk entered his office, Cody had a smirk the cadet hadn't seen.  "Cadet Castor Durk.  Raised on Dantooine, age of eighteen.  I've been watching you for a time and I am impressed with your efforts, though I cannot give you all the credit," Cody said to the now bewildered cadet.

"Sir?" Castor asked.

"Your mother, Nielgerian, fairly normal.  Your father, though, I can give credit to your success.  CC-3578, "Vulcan" of the 91st Recon Corps.  Raised from cadet into the role of an ARC trooper and granted the rank of Second Captain.  A very impressive service record to say the least," Cody said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, sir.  That's why I'm more fit than the others, learn faster, and taller.  I gained most of my father's traits, save the rapid aging a clone experiences," Castor said.

"I see.  Your squad looks to you as a leader, which I'd say was built into you.  You have the bearing of a clone.  You have our blood.  As of now, I am granting you the rank of Sergeant.  Congratulations.  However, you will continue your training. This explains now how you were assigned your own private quarters, your late night training, and your skill.  Your pops teach you much?" Cody asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Yes, sir.  Growing up, I took the basics of ARC training, later receiving the rest as most of the training they take is far more than the cadet training he teaches on the Dantooine Academy.  He even gave me his weapons and armor.  I clean and maintain them daily, as I have yet to receive Imperial equipment," Castor said.

Cody nodded, clearly impressed.  "Well, cadet, keep going the way you are and you'll be seeing more than just sergeant bars on your armor upon graduation in a few weeks.  Dismissed, Sergeant," Cody said as he returned to his apparent stacks of paperwork.  Castor saluted and left the office.

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Later that afternoon in the mess, Castor's squadmates interrogated him for information.  Anton Nyls, what would be deemed as a bit of a pyromaniac and the heart of Castor's squad, asked why Commander Cody had wanted to see him.  "Why did he call you?  He never calls anyone, much less us newbies," Anton said as the others nodded.

"He's been watching my training and he told me he was impressed.  And he promoted me to Sergeant and put me in charge of the squad," Castor said as he shoveled in the nearly tasteless sludge that the Empire passed as "food".  As soon as he swallowed, he finished his sentence.  "I haven't told you three this, but I'm not normal."

Marku Ren, the technical based member of the team, responded.  "Mate, we're all different who defines normal?"

Castor sighted and said it quick.  "I'm half Clone.  I already was given the ARC trooper training by my dad back home.  I should have said something, but if the academy knew, I might not have made recruitment."